THE Campaign councils of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday sharply disagreed over alleged harassment, arrest, and abduction of PDP chieftains across the state by the police.
The Director General. Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Hon Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, raised an alarm over alleged disturbing pattern” of harassment, unlawful arrest, and the kidnap of chieftains of the Edo State chapter of the PDP across the three senatorial districts of the state by policemen he alleged are from the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, in Abuja who he claimed have been paid huge sums of money by the APC.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yama could not be reached but a senior police officer in the state Command said only Abuja can reply to the allegation and the APC denied the allegation that the party was getting police backing and accused the PDP of trying to cover its failures..
Addressing a press conference at the PDP State Secretariat in Benin City, he alleged that the said police personnel allegedly being led by one CSP Ibrahim Angbasa, had been moving around the state in Hummer buses and Hilux vans, “to harass and abduct our party chieftains across the state.”
He also alleged that another police officer, from Uromi, Edo Central, popularly called “Citadel”, was conniving with the others from the IRT to carry out the activities.
According to Iduoriyekemwen: “These policemen have since the onset of their sinister operations arrested some of our party members including Mr Amos Tom, and Hon. Kingsley Osahon, the Councillor representing Ward 10 in Esan North East Local Government Area, along with several others whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
“We are also aware that they have compiled a list of prominent PDP chieftains from across the state’s three senatorial districts, and even procured fake court warrants of arrest with names of PDP members, whom they plan to abduct to weaken the PDP ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21, 2024. Among the names believed to be on this list include, Chief Odion Olaye, Chief Francis Inegbiniki, Chief B. Olukoga, Mr Festus Osaigbovo, Dr. Kelly Inedegbor, Chairman of Esan North East Local Government Area, among others whose identities have yet to be confirmed.
“The APC is attempting to weaponize the police against the people because they know they have a defective and unmarketable candidate and cannot win under any circumstance in a free, fair and credible election. Their only strategy is to use what they term federal might to harass and intimidate opposition parties into submission in their quest to secure electoral victory through subterfuge.
“At a rally held in one of the Senatorial districts, the former Deputy Governor, Hon Philip Shuaibu was boasting and issuing threats to the PDP, daring them to come out that day if they have two “heads”.
“We believe that this devious resort to harassment and intimidation is a recipe for anarchy and we are therefore calling on the Inspector General of Police, AIG, Zone 5, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, and other security agencies to step in and stop these harassments and intimidation by these suspected band of APC police operatives believed to be on illegal duty, to prevent a descent to anarchy in the State.”
Nobody is harassing PDP members – APC campaign council
However, the APC Edo Governorship Campaign Council hass pooh-poohed the PDP’s allegation, saying the party was trying to cover its failures.
In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Comrade Orobosa Omo-Ojo, the council said, “nobody is harassing PDP in Edo, their members should face prosecution for murder, treason and criminal activities” Omo-Ojo said PDP has abandoned campaigns to concentrate on “mischievous propaganda” to cover up their failure to articulate campaign strategy which he said has become obvious with their dwindling members.
